With the passage of time, superstitions have wormed their way into the life of Jokaites. One such story says that when the seven lakes overflow, there will be a bonanza where placements are concerned! Seven lakes overflowing is indeed an alluring sight, if anyone could be tempted to leave the hostels when the rain gods are crying. While that legendary sight has not materialised till now, there were reports that the lakes had indeed overflowed this year, generously worming their way up the paths to kiss the pavements of a thousand ‘blessings’, and in the process sending the gtalk status messages of the Jokaites into overloads of ecstasy, before snaking their way back to their murky layers. Is this reality, or merely the optimistic ramblings of an active imagination? Only time (and placements) will tell. Of course, since this is certainly not an everyday event, some students have taken it upon themselves to find even deeper meanings within this story. As Amit Sureka, a first year student, put it, if a downpour means good placements, then a drizzle certainly must portend good quiz marks! Unfortunately, he became very reticent when it came to revealing his own marks in those quizzes, so the veracity of that particular theory could not be satisfied.

Superstitions may come from the past, but even the future holds some very exciting prospects. Some people say that it’s possible, someday, when the rain gods are smiling (or crying, whichever you prefer), the seven lakes could in fact become one, and perhaps even take over the whole campus. This could well lead to the development of a new round of water sports, involving canoes, men, umpires, and hopefully cheerleaders cavorting in the glory of the rain! This could take inter hostel rivalry to a new level all together, perhaps culminating in the formation of a Joka Premier League! Necessity is, they say, the mother of invention. The mephitic after taste of the rains is an all too bitter reality that Jokaites live with, and it’s possible the necessity for clean air and civilized living conditions could drive some brilliant minds to come up with an antidote, one which would definitely be a hit in Jokaland. It’s not for nothing that students have come to dread the gurgling gutters, and the creatures of dark nature that populate it!

Not to end this piece on a dampener, it’s good to note that none of the parties this year have been hampered by showers of heaven, although it’s possible some students, mostly hailing from the male gender, would have enjoyed it more had it been so. But as they say in Jokaland, think of the lake as half full, not half empty!

For Jokatimes
Pratik Prakash

The reality is that it is somewhere in between, the degree of each varying from person to person. At a B-School there is too much to do, and way too much done to you. There are books to read, cases to study, quizzes to expect and exams to bust the gut and grey cell for. And then there are friendly inter hostel rivalries, pluming parties, annual festivals, sports meets and multitudes of competitions to test your mettle. It is for sure a great learning experience, but it is only voluntary half the time.

As immortalized in song and lore (don’t ask, you’ll find out sooner than you think), the first term is a blur of activity. You come in, attend never ending classes and tutorials, face mountainous submissions and presentations and slowly realize you do not have the time to stop and stare. The sunrise is only an indication to get up, the stars only seen when your head is spinning. Before you understand the others around you, before you think you like a particular subject you will have your first set of exams upon you. And then this trend will continue.

Life at a B-School is a blur. By the time some of the freshers (people fresh from undergrad, without any work experience, for those who don’t share the lingo) go back for their convocation they find that they have suddenly grown up a lot, they have suddenly become very different from the people they walked the plank with for four years. You don’t realize how much your senses are filled with the knowledge flow until you get such a moment to stop and reflect. As in any field of endeavor, for every subject or Professor you like, you will find two that you think are a waste of time. And everyone else will disagree with your particular choices.

But when you get into one of those really contemplative moods which manifest due to triggers from past, you will realize it is just a microcosm of the life you’d want to live. Not always predictable or comfortable, not always interesting or kind, but at some level or the other, wholly enriching. Which is when you realize two things: you wouldn’t have picked management studies if you wanted an easy way out, and more so, contemplative moods are a curse to the grades in the next day’s assignment.

G. Sriram

Classes begin at an unearthly 8:30 a.m. and go on till late evening. Quizzes and assignments designed to keep you busy week whole long and then a few extra classes to top it all. Add to this projects and term papers which include trying to map the 4Ps of marketing to the last case study done in class or take a real world survey in Park Street to know what the common man thinks about your latest innovative idea.

All this makes sure that this poor soul in IIM Calcutta goes to sleep late at night (or is it early in the morning) at 4 a.m. And then the damned alarm goes off in the morning when you are absolutely sure that you have just about slept for a few minutes. Anything that gives you a break from 18-20 hour days is supposed to be pure, unadulterated fun, right?

Wrong. Dead wrong. And that is what I gathered in the week-long break from campus life. For those of you wondering as to which guy in his right senses would be saying this, allow me to offer you my take on the whole thing. The point is after a certain amount of time spent in a campus, you get used to a certain standard of living. And when the campus is one with awesome scenery (imagine 7 lakes in a 135 acre setting with tree-lined roads on both sides), you do tend to enjoy the whole experience.

Back home, even though you are given the royal treatment for coming home pretty infrequently, there is only so much one can do to keep busy. Enjoying a good 10 hours sleep and waking up late you eat a leisurely breakfast while going through the entire newspaper from end to end, starting with the sports page of course. And then try and answer a couple of mails and try and update your Facebook status.
IIM Calcutta

Meeting friends is a task that is done within the first 2 days. These guys don’t enjoy well timed breaks around this time, so here I am, twiddling my thumbs and wondering what to do next. This is exactly the kind of scenario that would never occur back at IIM Calcutta. You always have something or the other to keep you engaged. And to be fair, I would be lying through my teeth if I insist that B-School is all about academics. There are a lot more things that are worth your time and effort. For some of us, it is the game of footer volley (a variation of Sepak-Tekraw) which is the most popular game on campus. This is generally played all through the night with the players changing as and when they get free from other stuff. So don’t be surprised if you walk into a hostel well past midnight and see a fully lighted quad hosting a game on in full swing. Others generally take their pick from tennis, badminton, TT, snooker, cricket or chess. We do have something for everyone here.

And Kotler, the friendly (and aptly named) neighbourhood hostel shop, sees soaring business with a bunch of guys and girls engaged in animated discussions on Obama becoming the next President of the US and its impact on the Indian economy over a cup of instant coffee. The midnight Maggi, without which MBAs will never be possible, is something that has become a habit for me over the last year and half. Then you have the various clubs on campus — be it the Finance, Marketing or Consulting — which again keep you awake. And the more exotic ones like the Lakeside Lens Lovers, our newest photography club, which sees some of its members staying awake to capture the perfect moment during sunrise on the Howrah Bridge replica on the lake front. Try staying awake a little into the night and the folks back home start wondering which planet we guys inhabit when we are away pursuing the great Indian MBA dream. Unlike back in hostel where the guy next door knocks your door at 3 a.m. to inform you that you will be taking part in the next big case study competition lined up for tomorrow.

There just isn’t enough incentive to stay back home for one whole week. All said and done, I am waiting to get back to campus and enjoy the last term that I shall have on campus. Waking up to an 8:30 morning class is any day preferable, after all.